NOAA FISHERIES DETERMINES ATLANTIC WHITE MARLIN DOES NOT WARRANT LISTING
UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries)
announced today that the Atlantic white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus),
a billfish that lives in the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic
Ocean, does not warrant listing as threatened or endangered under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA).

In September 2001,
the Biodiversity Legal Foundation and James R. Chambers petitioned NOAA
Fisheries to list the white marlin as endangered or threatened throughout
its range, and to designate critical habitat under the ESA. The ESA defines
an endangered species “as any species which is in danger of extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” A “threatened
species” is defined as “any species which is likely to become
endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant
portion of its range.”

In December 2001,
NOAA Fisheries found the petition to list the white marlin contained substantial
information that warranted further examination and initiated a comprehensive
review of the status of the species. NOAA Fisheries also conducted a number
of public meetings to solicit information from the public about the status
of white marlin during the status review process.

“We put together
a status review team that looked at this species very carefully,”
Dr. Bill Hogarth, NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator said. “They
wrote a thorough report, containing the best available scientific and
commercial information. Based on the review, we determined that, although
the species has declined greatly from historical levels, it is not currently
at a level that warrants listing under the ESA. “

The U.S. fishery accounts
for approximately five percent of the total mortality of white marlin,
which is mostly caught as bycatch in international longline fisheries.
The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
is responsible for the international management of white marlin. By consensus
of participating nations, ICCAT adopts binding recommendations to manage
for maximum sustainable catch of fish stocks.

The U.S. participates
in ICCAT-supported stock assessments of white marlin based on data from
ICCAT member fishing nations. ICCAT implemented binding measures in 2000
to reduce mortality of white marlin, but these measures have not been
in place long enough to fully evaluate their effectiveness. Current U.S.
measures include time/area closures, gear and bait restrictions, and a
ban on possession of Atlantic white marlins on board commercial vessels.

Total reported landings
of white marlin peaked in 1965 at almost 5,000 metric tons. Scientists
estimate the current stock size of Atlantic white marlin at approximately
five to 15 percent of carrying capacity, and declining. In recent years,
the stock has declined by an average of six percent a year. The latest
preliminary stock status evaluations from ICCAT, while uncertain, indicate
that international conservation measures have a potential for stabilizing
the white marlin stock near current levels.

“Over the past
few years, the United States, in partnership with the international community,
has implemented additional restrictions to reduce mortality of Atlantic
white marlin,” Dr. Hogarth said. “We will continue to push
for additional conservation measures, as necessary, consistent with our
solid commitment to rebuilding. Our scientists will carefully monitor
the results of conservation efforts already underway, and a full ESA review
will be conducted within five years.”

White marlin are found
in offshore waters throughout the tropical and temperate Atlantic Ocean
and adjacent seas. Unlike blue marlin and sailfish, white marlin occur
only in the Atlantic Ocean. Although generally considered to be a rare
and solitary species relative to other similar fish, white marlin occur
in small groups consisting of several individuals.

NOAA Fisheries is
dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation’s living marine
resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the
conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and
their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries, and for more information
on the Atlantic white marlin please visit http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov.